Scratch

The plan was set in stone. Pretty basic of you asked me but I just hoped while I was hiding behind the closet door that it would work out all in our favor.

I watched through the small crack of the closet door closely as Pat started to manhandle Rome briskly.

I chuckle lightly as I see Romes frantic face peering down at Pat like she was the most disgusting creature that he has ever laid his eyes on.

Then Micah and Jackson soon appeared into the room, I took that as my key to finally exit out of the tiny ass closet.

It's Showtime!

As I creaked open the closet door I could hear Micah calmly catching Pat in her deceitful webs of lies.

I chuckle lightly again as I hear him correct her on her useless and baseless ongoing lies.

Brax comes out of his hiding spot from the south living room along with Des. They are both smiling broadly at me as we all keep listening in on Micah and Pats interesting argument.

With a quick sharp nod of my head we all enter into the foyer menacingly. Cherry and River both come out from the dining room area just as we entered into the foyer. Perfect damn timing. I love the synchronization.

When Pat finally sees us all entering into the room, I let out yet another light chuckle at her surprised face.

This is no less than what she fucking deserves for trying to blackmail my family.

I turn my attention to Brax beside me as we both hear Pat trying to explain herself. I block her ass out while looking down at my boots. I'm getting rather bored of all of this. Why can't we just send her to the Red Room already like we intended to do? She's just so damn aggravating.

Then when I suddenly hear an ear piercing scream coming out from Pat I finally start to pay attention again.

I stand there stunned and a bit freaked out as I watch my own loving mate place her hands right on top of Pats shoulders then she automatically starts shaking rather violently.

I take a step in her direction but get stop right into my tracks when I feel a hand placed right on my own shoulder. Glancing over quickly I see Brax is the one who stopped me from going straight over to her. I was about to admonish him until I saw the look he had on his face.

Brax's eyes start to grow wider as I peer over at him, with a jerk of my head to see what got him so damn wide eyed. I watch in horror as I notice smoke begin to rise out of Cherrys own hands. Pat takes few puffs of gasping breath before she just drops to the floor completely still and completely fucking dead. What the actual fuck!?

When I jerk my head back up to look directly at my mate, I watch her completely amazed at what I'm actually seeing. Cherry still has little smoke tendrils of smoke coming right out of both of her hands astonishingly.

As the smoke rises from her hands she unusually just stands there in the same exact spot, immovable and frighteningly still.

"Cherry?" Micah calls out her name worriedly.

He gently places a hand on the top of her dainty shoulder, Cherry unfortunately doesn't recognize his touch on her, she just still remains completely unmoving and polarized. Now I'm definitely freaking out.

I step closer to her as I reach her I get right in front of her with Brax and Des right at my sides, we all look on at our mate with a mask of confusion and obvious worry.

"Cherry?" This time it's me that calls out her name to her gently.

Still fucking nothing comes from her. She doesn't even fucking blink and her eyes are now a gray stony offset color. My worry soon starts to spike as I continuously view her.

"What happened? How did she do that?" Brax ask us all, clearly just as confused as the rest of are about all of this.

"What exactly did she do? How did she just touch her and kill her like that?" Brax's questions just keep coming out of him, with one after the other. He's asking the right questions but nobody seems to have the answers for any of them. I sure wish the hell that I did though.

Cherry just did something that usually only demons are capable of doing. With Cherry not being anywhere close to being a damn demon like most of us are I don't exactly know how to explain any of this shit to them.

Think Scratch, for fuck sakes just think! I keep barking at myself.

Usually I'm the one that ends up having all of the damn answers for them but at this moment my mind is drawing a complete fucking blank.

"Will someone please explain this shit to me? How is she capable of that shit?" Brax keeps asking as he starts to lose his shit.

I keep my worried gaze locked onto Cherry while just trying to block out his hysterical rants. I need to concentrate solely on her to find a damn solution to all of this messed up shit.

But I can't seem to come up with one single damn thing, unless it has something to do with her new evolving abilities? Maybe that's it. Maybe she just developed a new found ability. A horrific one but one nonetheless.

"You would actually be correct in your assumptions my boy." I hear a very familiar voice echoing out in the foyer suddenly that obviously was able to read my inner musings b

"What the fuck are doing here?" Des questions our long lost dad as he enters into the room looking every bit of the monster that he truly is. He always seem to be able to look younger than any of his offspring.

His cockiness and demeanor has everyone fooled but us.

If he has shown up here at this point in time he has to be here for a very malicious and devious reason. He never does a damn thing without having to gain something in the process. He has just always been that way. We have come to learn to accept it after all of these years but we are also always cautious when it comes to him. We have to be with him.

"Now is that anyway to greet your father son? I've only just arrived, why must you behave so?" He ask Des sweetly. I blanch at his guileless, just like dear old dad.

My dad starts to walk over to my mate, as he comes closer to her I step right before him blocking off his path to her immediately.

I stiffen up my posture to meet him head on. I bravely stand before him while protecting my mate from him. Out of the corner of my eyes I see Des and River start to the same as I am. They both get on each one of my sides making a protective barrier around her.

I meet my fathers eyes with my own steely ones.

Dad begins to chuckle at all three of us as he finally decides to take a step away from Cherry. I release a nervous breath as I watch his receding back. Dad walks straight over to Jackson and Micah while eyeing both them somewhat curiously.

"Which one of you is her mate?" He ask them suspiciously.

"I am along with the others." Micah determinedly tells him. I smile when I see him bravely stand his ground.

Jackson doesn't look to amused though. "I'm not. I'm so out of here. Bye Micah." Jackson states cowardly before he scrambles for the front door.

Pussy, I yell at him in my mind as the door slams behind him.

"Dad why are you really here?" River ask him sternly.

Dad's attention refocuses on us three. "I came to talk to Wrath." He states as he points his finger at Des.

"What about me?" Des's fury is staring to show presently.

"It's time son. No more excuses. It's time to come home and I won't take no for answer, not this time, not any longer." Dad gruffly demands of him.

Des's entire body goes rigid as he shoots deadly glares over at our father.

"I don't think so. I don't want the position dad. You can keep it. I'm perfectly fine right where I am now." Des defies him. My dad starts to tsk over at Des showing his clear dissatisfaction in him.

"Is it because of her? Is she why you don't want to take your place as the prince of hell?" Dad points his finger over at Cherry with his face showing pure disgust at our mate.

I step nearer to her still frozen figure afraid that my father may suddenly take his anger that he has for Des out on her.

"She's one of the reasons yes but my other reasons are just as valid as that one. I don't want the crown father. Give it to one of our sisters instead. I'm sure that they would gladly take it." Des tries to reason with our father. He should know better by now that there's just no damn reasoning with his ass.

"You're sisters are lazy cunts. If she is what is preventing you from doing what you are destined to do then I will have no other choice but to remove the obstacle from you. Is that something that you could live with son? It's either the throne or her there is no other option for you." He snarls over at Des viscously.

There's my dad, now he's showing his true colors, I knew it wouldn't take him too long before his actually persona came crashing through.

"It's her. It will always be her father. She's my mate." Des asserts firmly.

"Yours? I thought she was his?" Dad inquires as he nudged his head toward Micah beside him.

"She is. She's his, his, his, his, his, and mine." Des explains as he points his finger at each one of us each individually.

"Well, well, well, this makes everything just that much easier now. Wrath she already has five other mates, she will not miss you if you come home. She's a spirit enhancer anyway that's just coming into her abilities. She will need time to adjust to them, plus she is not only a danger to herself right now but to all of you also. So why take the chance? Just come back home son and do your rightful duty or else I will have to take matters into my own damn hands." My father commands maliciously toward Des.

Suddenly, I hear a soft moaning coming from my right as I jerk my head in Cherrys direction I feel relief hit me instantly when I see that she is finally starting to come back around.

Her eyes start blinking sporadically, thankfully they are now back to their original beautiful ice blue coloring.

Cherry rocks her head from side to side while coming out of her daze like trance. I grab ahold of her upper arms urgently as I watch her come back to her full self.

"Cherry are you okay?" I murmur out to her gently.

Cherrys eyes lock onto mine then she grants me with one of her mesmerizing smiles. I've never been quite as happy as I am right now to have her back with me and to see that beautiful smile.

"What happened?" She questions me faintly. My gaze shoots sharply down to Pats lifeless form laying on the foyer flooring beside me.

Cherry finally sees Pats figure on the floor before her. I watch her intently as she starts to kneel down to Pats corpse, before she is even able to bend her knees fully I hurriedly rush to grasp ahold of her to block her from the morbid image of Pats body.

I press her head right up against my chest firmly while threading my fingers right through her soft strands of hair delicately.

"It's fine sweet Cherry. Just don't look." I coo at her tenderly.

"Let her look son she did do it to her after all. She should see what her abilities can actually do. I have to say that I'm quite impressed with it myself." Dad proclaims gleefully. I sneer over at him fiercely.

"I did that to her? But how?" Cherry mumbles up against my chest.

"How? Well let's see, shall we? You are a spirit enhancer aren't you? One of your unique abilities is to be able take away the soul of a supernatural. And that my dear is just what you have done to that poor innocent woman on the floor. You just ripped her soul right out of her own body. Good job there. I couldn't have done it better myself." My dad gloats to her pathetically.

"Don't listen to him Cherry bomb. It was a damn mistake. You didn't mean to do it." River pipes in suddenly.

"Didn't she? I bet she was fuming mad when she did it to, wasn't she? Not being able to control your temperament is a catalyst for a spirit enhancer. You lost control and took her life. Such a shame too, she was a very pretty little thing." My dad obnoxiously tosses out while he peers down at Pats lifeless corpse.

I feel bile rise up in my throat at my fathers assumptions about our loving compassionate mate.

Cherry pulls completely away from me to gaze over at my father with confusion.

"Who are you?" She ask him.

"That's our dad." I mumble to her regretfully.

"You mean?" She ask me astonishingly.

"Yep. The one and only." I tell her stoically.

Then she completely surprises me, Cherry doesn't look on at him in wonder or even amazement as I thought she would, no my sweet Cherry looks on at him in complete defiance.

"Why are you even here?" Cherry comments to him rudely.

"Wow. You have a firecracker here, don't you? For your information missy I came to take my son back home to where he belongs." My father informs her. Cherrys eyes flash straight to Des behind me. How did she know that he was talking about him?

"He doesn't belong there. He belongs here with me, with his brothers, and with his friends. But he definitely doesn't belong there with you. He doesn't want the damn throne. So why don't you just leave." Fuck me. I can't believe that she actually has the gumption to stand up to my father.

"I don't take orders from you missy now why don't you just leave the room so me and my son can have a private discussion without you being here." My dad tries to persuade her with his formidable power. I feel the gush of of the strength of his power rush straight through me dauntingly.

"My name is not missy asshole! I will not leave my own damn house. I think that it is you that should leave here before I unleash my own power onto you." Cherry astonishingly stands up to my bewildered father. How did she not feel my fathers power gushing straight through her like I just did?

"Do you actually know who the hell you are fucking with missy? I can obliterate you with just the snap of my own fingers. Don't let my charming personality fool you dear, I'm a ravenous beast who could eat your tiny little body up for breakfast." My dad grows more irate as Cherry continues to push his buttons. I quickly wrap my arms around her middle section then pull her forcefully back up against me.

With her encased tightly into my arms I pull her along with me back over to my brothers as we all take a protective stance around her. Brax, Roman, and Micah each gather around the four us, we all put up protective shield of our bodies around her in defiance to my father.

"Just leave dad. Des doesn't want to go with you. He wants to stay here. Can't you see that? Why are you trying so badly to get him to come with you now?" River questions him tersely.

My father makes a flourishing wave of his hand as he starts to chuckle darkly over at us. I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I'm just waiting for the next proverbial shoe to drop.

"He has a duty. One that I will make damn sure of that he fulfills. He has had plenty of time here on earth to sow his wild oats and have fun but now his time is officially up. Me and your mother both want to retire from the throne. It's been far too long trying to lead those useless demons and meaningless souls in hell for me and her both. We both think that it's time to finally enjoy ourselves more and that's why Wrath you need to come back home and do your damn job! Is that a good enough of an explanation for you my son?" My father glares at River spitefully.

"Don't give me that shit father. You and mother both enjoy yourselves plenty while ruling hell. By the endless amounts of random torture and disgusting orgies that you mother both happily do there's also an insurmountable people at your beck and call to do whatever the two of you wish them to do. So what's the real reason that you want me to so badly take the throne from you?" Des abruptly questions my father's validity. I try to stifle back a groan at Des. I wish that for just once that he could manage to somehow hold his damn raging tongue.

Dad has already zeroed in our mate with Des challenging him like he is now he's risking not only her life but ours as well. The damn fool.

"You're mother has met someone who has caught her eye that has beguiled her so badly that she wants to leave me for him. If I could just give her want she so adamantly has asked from me for years now then I just may have a chance to win her back from him" my father begrudgingly confesses to us. I stare over at my dad completely dumbfounded by his statement. What? This is just so damn ridiculous.

"You both have always slept around with whomever you wanted too, even sharing with each other, I've seen mother sleep with hundreds if not thousands of men and women during my entire childhood, what makes this one man so damn special to her?" I drop the question with my curiosity screaming out at me.

My mother and father are just down right depraved sluts in the highest forms, why would my father be so upset about her being with just one simple ass man? I'm entirely perplexed over all of this.

"This guy...he has somehow captured your mothers heart like non other has before, not even me. He has her completely bamboozled. He has snared her into his trap and all your damn mother can see is him. All that she can talk about his him. It's starting to irk on my damn nerves a bit. I'm use to her ignoring me and her temper tantrums over the years but I'm not in no way use to her choosing someone else over me. I won't have it." I could almost laugh at my fathers childish behavior. In all honesty I have never not even once seen him this damn distraught over anything. It's a welcoming side of him that it is rarely seen. My father is actually jealous over this other guy apparently.

I can't wait to finally met the guy who has sent my father down to his damn knees in complete and utter desperation. I'd probably congratulate the damn guy. I half laugh internally at my fathers face that's full of despair and agony at this moment.

"So do see now why I need you to come home and take your rightful place up on the throne son? If I don't do this now then I just may very well lose your mother completely and then I will have to find some other damn infernal woman to take her place beside me." He looks pleadingly over at Des.

Then his eyes latch on to Cherry that's still clutched into my arms. I watch as my fathers face goes from pleading to devious in a damn millisecond.

"Or maybe I have already found the perfect woman to replace her?" He lowly mumbles to himself while a gleam suddenly enters into his cold steely eyes.

I clutch ahold of Cherry a little tighter to me, "Oh hell no that's not going to happen father. I know what your diabolical mind is working it's way up to and I'm here to tell you that is definitely not going to fucking happen!" My voice grows louder as I send deadly daggers over to him.

"What are talking about Scratch?" Rome inquires curiously.

"He wants to make Cherry here his queen to replace our own mother. How sick is that? She's our mate father that shit isn't going to happen!" I grow braver. With the threat of losing Cherry over our heads from my father I buckle up and wrap my courage up around me. I won't let his ass get anywhere near my mate.

"Ewe hell no!" Cherry squeals lowly.

"Come on son she would be absolutely be the fucking perfect candidate for the throne. Just think about it for a second, would you? Just imagine a spirit enhancer sitting on the throne. She could end up being the greatest queen that hell has ever before known. Just think of the adulation and reverence we could all get out of this. Of course, she would have to the blood ritual with me but that is of no consequence. She would even rival your own mother. The demons would just love her. I'll make you all a deal. Just give me her then I won't bother Wrath again about taking his rightful place on the throne. Hell, I'll even throw in an added bonus for you all. I will get each one of a bride just for yourselves that way none of you will have to share her like you are doing now. What do you say?" My father's excitement of Cherry becoming his queen sends shivers straight down my spine. He has to be joking right? I would never give up Cherry for fucking anything. Especially not to my damn worthless ass father.

"I'd say that you should leave here....right fucking now!" Des's deadly roar starts to vibrate throughout the entire mansions solid foundations.

I'm not joking, the entire mansion starts vibrating underneath our own damn feet as Des's temper starts raging out of control.

Clutching Cherry flush up against me, I hold on to her for dear life as the concrete under us starts to crack and disintegrate rapidly.

"Stop Des!" Cherry screams violently.

"Please." She tacks on out of desperation as the floor continues to rumble harshly beneath us.

She breaks free my grasp on her to race over quickly to Des, I spy her across from me jumping up automatically onto Des's waist. She wraps her arms around his neck and her legs are both planted firmly around him.

I stumble a bit from the earthquake of Des's own Wraths fury exploding from him.

The tremors start to die down somewhat as I right myself again I glance over helplessly at Des and Cherry.

Des is softly rubbing his large hand all along Cherrys back now in a soothing motion with his head buried down deeply into her neck. She seems to calm his inner demon down thankfully.

I release a staggering breath as I search around the foyer for everyone else. Seeing that there is no outward damage done to my family and that they are presently safe. I sigh deeply after my search, then my attention goes straight back over to the cause of all of our current problems: my damn father.

I get even more pissed off when I see that the damn earthquake that Des produced hasn't done a damn bit of damage to his ass. Grumbling to myself I bravely storm my way over to the asshole and get right up into his damn face.

"You are not and will not ever get your hands on our mate! I will kill you first. That I swear to you. Just because mother found someone to finally make her happy doesn't give you the right to destroy our lives. Just fucking leave and find some useless ass bitch to be your queen because you are definitely not getting Cherry!" I stand up to my father, for the first time ever in my entire life. It actually feels pretty damn good to finally do it. It's been building up in me for years now. To be able to finally unleash all of this onto him feels just like a ton of bricks have been lifted off of my damn shoulders.

"Lucy why are you bothering our sons? I knew you were up to some mischief when I found our chambers empty." Hearing my mothers sudden voice in the foyer makes me smile deliriously at my father.

Showtime!

I turn to look over at my beautiful mother who is slowly sauntering over me and my father with such refined grace that it astonishes me.

My mother may be sometimes heartless and cold but she is nothing compared to my own damn father.

He's ruthless and uncaring where as my mother does in her own small and strange ways shows us her love for us. She can be loving and caring when she wants to be.

As she comes closer to us, she holds her arms out to welcome me into them. I graciously hug her tightly for a second before I let her go. She then hugs her other sons lovingly that's including Brax, Rome, and Micah, she has always looked at them like they were her own sons also, before she stops at Des and Cherry. With Cherry still encased in Des's firm grip she just gives him a soft peck of her lips on his cheek then returns back to us.

"Now Lucy what is this that I'm hearing about you thinking that I'm replacing you for another man?" My mothers cool and collective voice rings out through the room mystically.

"You know you have. You spend more time with him than me. It's always him that, him this. It's like you're in love with the damn imbecile." My dad grumbles.

"Oh Lucy I do not love him. He was just a little plaything to pass my time with. No one could ever replace you my dear. You are my king. My one and only. Please come back home and I'll show you." She purrs at my father.

"Then why are you spending so much damn time with that little ass  fucker?" My father growls.

"Just to pass the time away. I was getting bored. That's all, nothing more, nothing less. There's no need for jealousy my lover, you will always have my heart." She mewls at him. I had to hide my smile behind my hand as I watch my father melts right into my mothers hands just like damn putty.

"Fine I'll come back home but I never want to hear that man's name mentioned to me ever again understand?" My father demands. My mother just smiles over at him brightly.

"I promise." That satisfies my father as both my father and mother both turn on their heels to leave the mansion finally.

"I'm so glad you came to your senses my love." My father tells her on their way out.

"Oh Lucy, Lion meant nothing to me." My mother purrs at him again while my father lets out a visceral growl toward as they both disappear right before our own very eyes.

"Did she just say Lion? She can't mean our.....?" Brax trails off as I begin to laugh uproariously at Braxs confused face.

When it comes to my mother she more than likely did mean that our old friend Lion was her lover. I wouldn't put it past her or even Lion for that matter.

"Stop! Get away from me!" I hear Cherry scream frighteningly.

Stripping my gaze away from Brax I notice that Cherry is now on the foyer floor trying to fight off something that is invisible to all of us.

Her beautiful pink hair is floating right above her head as if someone has a tight grip on it while she is struggling desperately to get away from whoever it is.

Des, River, and Rome are all trying to fight off the invisible creature from Cherry.

Me, Brax, and Micah all quickly run over to her to try to help out in someway.

I feel my panic rise up in me as I see Cherry being lifted right off of the foyer floor by just the strands of her hair.

"What the fuck is happening to her?" Micah screams frantically as we all stand beneath Cherrys floating figure extremely confused and upset at the scene happening right before us.

What the hell do I do now?